Written by

Seth Weibel

News Journal columnist

The family and I had always enjoyed a great value before going to the movies in Ontario. We often ran late and needed to eat something good and quick. We found CiCiís Pizza was a good stop with tons of options for pizza, salad, soup and desserts.

This week, CiCiís reopened following a brief hiatus ó a former franchisee had closed the doors. Now, owner Ben Johnson and managers Connie Walters and David Zinn are committed to making this restaurant a permanent fixture.

Former loyal customers returned by the hundreds Monday night as a portion of the sales benefited No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. By the time we arrived at 5 p.m., nearly 1,000 customers had visited to eat and support the cause.

If youíve never been to one of the franchiseís restaurants, CiCiís appeal is the line and assortment of 20 pizza combinations at a reasonable price. All of the toppings and salad items are fresh, never frozen, and the dough is made fresh daily.

The owner of this location has owned another CiCiís for five years, so heís working hard to make this location a success. They demonstrated that Monday. When Chef Andrea didnít see a thin crust veggie pizza, they asked if there was a pizza they could get in the oven for her. When the pizza was ready they delivered it right to our table.

The original CiCiís opened in 1985 in Texas, where the national headquarters remains. In 2011, the restaurant was rated a top child-friendly restaurant by Zagat. Since 1985, the chain has spread to more than 500 restaurants nationwide.

We thought weíd be the early birds coming at 5, but there were many families enjoying a meal together, laughing and spending a little quality time talking. The location at 2156 Walker Lake Road was going ďOrangeĒ Monday night as the No Kid Hungry campaign fosters assistance to the 16 million kids living in poverty.

We sometimes donít realize what may be happening in our own backyard.

The campaign wants people to know that kids perform better at school when theyíve had a good breakfast, and this effort helps support them with resources.

Our food choices for the night, starting with a salad, were abundant. The staff takes great care of the salad area, evidenced by its tidy and stocked appearance. I chose the bleu cheese dressing on my tossed salad along with the pasta salad with a light vinaigrette, tomatoes and olives.

The chicken noodle soup had a surprising great broth, of which I ate every last bite. They also have spiral pasta with either marinara or Alfredo sauce, along with garlic crust to accompany. Each sauce was thick and rich and one of my students adores the white sauce. My first piece of pizza was the buffalo chicken, which was just as spicy as I remembered it. The spinach Florentine pizza had the Alfredo, spinach and mushrooms with lots of white cheese. It was simple but tasty, with many people aiming their plates in its direction.

There also was a spicy pepperoni on a thick crust that was similar to one I had in my hometown of Bellevue. The barbecue chicken was enjoyed by Roseanna and Jim, my in-laws, who were both celebrating birthdays.

CiCiís is nestled in the same corridor as Posh, Menchies and Starbucks, so you have a whole day of pampering, dinner, dessert and coffee, in that order. While Andrea was enjoying her thin crust veggie, I was locked in on the mac-n-cheese pizza with plenty of cheesey goodness. I know it was our kidsí favorite when they all lived at home, and since this is kid-friendly, it makes sense for them to offer it.

I really am not accustomed to getting soda these days with trying to keep the weight down, but I enjoyed the Orange Fanta immensely.

Dessert came in four options as we explored the cinnamon rolls ó clinging together, all glazed, soon to meet their demise.

The apple streusel pizza had nice crumb topping, a sugar glaze and a great flavor.

The brownies were covered with plenty of powdered sugar and had a rich, dense flavor. It was good to see they also had a non-pizza dessert offered for the chocoholics. The last dessert was the Bavarian creme pizza. I think I saw my little wife devour about six pieces and wondered where she puts it.

Prices at the restaurant are more than affordable at $5.99 for an adult buffet, or $2.99 for kids.

One-topping carryout pizzas are regularly priced at $5.99 and the take-home buffet is just $5 with a drink.

Visit the newly reopened CiCiís Pizza and experience fresh-made pizzas with the family this weekend.